Railroad highway crossing



.Auge 31, 1926.

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W I TNESSES @2M w Nh L QN v Patented Aug. 31, 1926,.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONATHAN RAYMOND JONES, SPRING HOUSE, PENNSYLVANIA., ASSIGNOR TO ALAN WOOD IRON AND STEEL COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA..

RAILROAD HIGHWAY CROSSING.

AApphcation led October 31, 1925. Serial No. 65,963.

This invention relates to railroad 'highway-crossings, and it has Vmore partlcular reference to the provision of a durable trackway filler or traflic tread which 1s unaected by atmospheric changes and enduring under described.

all service conditions. I U a Important objects of this inventien are to provide a railroad highwaycrossing that absorbs traffic-impact, prevents rail vibration, is unaffected by moisture, and which 1s not liable to heaving or distortion, whereby a smooth easy-riding crossing for vehicular tralic over railroads is ensured. i

With the foregoing and other objects 1n view, which will be apparentfrom the following description, my invention essentially consists of the matters hereinafter set forth, and circurnscribed as to subject-matter, as well as scope, by the subjoined claims.

The invention is typically illustrated in' the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings, but the important elements thereof may be varied; hence it is to be understood that said invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein shown and described.

In the drawings Fig. I, is a plan vew of a railroad highway-crossing embodying the present improvements.

Fig. II, is a part end and part transverse sectional view of the same.

Fig. III, is an enlarged sectional view of one of the permanent-way rails with the' abutting elements forming a part of this in vention.

Fig. IV, is a fragmentary top plan view of a highway tread hereinafter fully described.

Fig. V, is an enlarged lon 'tudinal section taken approximately as ind1cated by the arrowed lines V-V in Figjl; and,

Fig. VI, is a correspondingly enlarged section on the line VI-VI in Fig. I.

Referring more in detail to the several views a plurality of railroad tracks are each designated by the numeral 7, while a highway, crossing the same, is comprehensively denominated 8. The railroad tracksi?7 are in accordance with conventional engineering practice; that is .to say, they embody ties 9 laid on a suitable bed, with each rail 10 attached thereto through the medium of a base-plate or chair 11 and spikes 12. The parts just referred to form no part of the present invention, however, and are merely mentioned by way of establishing clarity with respect to the novel features, now to be In accordance with this invention, as adapted to an electric railroad by way of example only, I apply at each side of the rails 10, suitable elastic or mastic material preformed or poured fillers 13, 14,'as best shown in Fig. III. These fillers 13, 14, it will be noted, are of a cross-section to snugly abut the rail head 15, web 16 and base flange 17, while either of them is conveniently cored at 18 to function as a conduit for diverting electric current from the Irails 10 at each end of the crossing 8 through the width thereof.` One. or both of the fillers 13, 14, the latter for instance, is longitudinally troughed at 19 to serve as a gutter for carrying away surface water, dirt and other matter from the crossing 8. It will, of course, be well understood. that the fillers 13, 14 are formed or cut into convenient lengths for, end to end, application to the rails 10; whereby 10 is effectively insulated.

Longitudinally abutting the llers of .each track 7, are wood beams 20 with an intermediate or medially located beam 21; and said beams are rigidly braced by transverse t1es ^22 in any of the well known ways. Cn vthe tles 22 I lay longitudinal timbers or planks 23'; which, in conjunction with the beams 20, 21 constitute the high-way-crossing bed; while it is to be noted that the,

cross-sections of lumber, just referred to, are of suitable dimensions to conform with the type of rail 10, as well as thickness of surfacing tread 24. This surfacing tread or face covering 24-which I conveniently term diamond pattern material-is composed of steel plate appropriately rolled or drop forged to produce staggered surfaceoffsets 25-of any convenient anti-slip conrfiguration, whileit is sheared and punched to accommodate lag screws 26 which are driven into the beams 21 and timbers 23 aforesaid. InA connection with the surfacing tread 24, the holes for passage ,of the lag screws 26 are preferably located centrally of the dat portions of said tread the entire crossing width ofrails intervening the surface-olfsets 25, thereby 'permitting the screws to be driven tight vall cracks, so that the entire crossing 8 is rendered permanently rigid.

Referring again to the surfacing tread 24, one or more sections may be applied to the woden. sub-structure transversely of the rails 10, 10. In the drawings, -and as best shown in the left-hand of Fig. II, it will be seen there are two such sections 24, 24', which seat medially of the track 7 upon an elastic or mastic material pre-formed longitudinally-grooved section 27 supported on the beam 21, hereinbefore referred to. This elastic or mastic material section 27 serves as a di-electric agent, as well as providing a moisture proof seal between the contiguous ends of the plates 24, 24. Furthermore, the section 27 serves as a protection 'against ice and frost deteriorating the wooden sub-structure, thereby preventing decay, rust and consequent heaving j as well as eliminating the possibility of accidental signal setting of the rails 10 and plates 24, 24 should, at any time, be bridged by animal shoes or other electric conducting material. It is also to be observed that the ends of the `plates 24, 24 contiguous the rails l()` 10, are flashed downwardly into the gutters 19 of the elastic or mastic material fillers 14, as best shown in Fig. III.

In like manner the space intervening the tracks 7, 7 is filled in by transverse Vties 22 and timbers or planks 23 cooperating with the outside fillers 13, hereinbefore referred to, with provision of a medially located longitudinal beam 21 and mastic section 27-'as above set forth-all as will be readily understood without further detailed explanation.

Similar tread plates 28 are applied outside of the tracks 7, 7 or rails 10, 1() at their junction with the highway road material, and they are downwardly inclined thereto with interposition of a filler 29-F ig. II- of bituminous material, as will be readily understood by those lacquainted Y with the art; In like manner, and as shown to best advantage in F ig. V, all end tread plates 3() are bent down and fastened by lag screws 26 to contiguous railroad ties 9, thereby preventing accidental tearing-up of the highway-crossing 8 by brake-beams and other projections on locomotives; or cars that may fall below their normal location. These end plates 30 are preferably made shorter, as shown, than the plates 24, 24, thereby preventing the accidental ripping-up of a large section of the highway-crossing should an accident occur at said crossing, while their ends are inwardly sheared at 31 to clear 'tion of a bituminous filler.

switch points, frogs and the like. Attention is also directed to the fact that the tread plates 28 at the outsides of the rails 10, 10 are located somewhat below the level -of the rail heads 15 in order to clear the wheels of locomotives and cars passing over said rails.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my novel impact-absorbing railroad highway-crossing fully Vjustifies all the objects set forth in the statement of invention; but it is desired to emphasize the fact that the roughened tread plates 24, etc., prevent breaking or fracture of the timbers 23 by distributing the load; combat wear; avoid the working up of spikes and nails; add safety; and ensure a smooth easy -riding level-crossing for. vehicular traffic passing over railroad tracks. Finally, while the embodiment illustrated and described is deemed a preferable construction, it is apparent the same is susceptible of modification without departing from the scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its obvious advantages; for example its adaptation to other types of railroads than electric is self evident without detailed explanation herein.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

` 1. A highway-crossing for railroads comprising a sub-structure of rigidly connected longitudinals and transverse tics, said longitudinals having their outer faces abutting rail fillers of shock absorbing material, one of said fillers having its upper face troughed and a surfacing tread of diamond patterned metal plate with the rail contiguous edges flashed into the aforesaid troughed portion of the filler.

2. A highway-crossing for railroads comprlsing a sub-structure of rigidly connected longitudinals and transverse ties, said longitudinals having their outer faces abutting rail llers of shock absorbing material, one of said fillers having its upper face troughed a surfacing tread of diamond pattern metal plate with the rail contiguous edges flashed into the aforesaid troughed portion of the filler, and one of the fillers longitudinally cored for the purpose specified.

' 3. A. highway-crossing for railroads comprising a sub-structure of rigidly connected longitudinals and transverse ties, said longitudinals having their outer faces abutting rail fillers of shock absorbing material, 'a

surfacing tread of diamond patterned metal plate, and similarly faced outside tread plates flashed to the highway with interposi- 4. A highway-crossing for railroads comprising a sub-structure of rigidly connected longitudinals and transverse ties, said longitudinals having their` outer faces abutting rail fillers of shock absorbing material, a surface tread of Vdiamond patterned metal plate, like patterned outside tread plates flashed to the highway with interposition of a bituminous filler, and corresponding end tread plates downwardly inclined for connection to the contiguous railroad tie.

5. A highway-crossing for railroads comprising a sub-structure of rigidly connected longitudinals and transverse ties, said longitudinals having their outer faces abutting rail fillers of shock absorbing material, a surfacing tread of roughly patterned metal plate, corresponding outside tread plates flashed to the highway with interposition of a bituminous filler, and like end tread plates downwardly inclined for connection to contiguous railroad ties, said latter plates having their edges cut away for the purposes Specified.

6. A highway-crossing for railroads comprising a sub-structure of rigidly braced longitudinals and transverse members with elastic material rail-llers running lengthwise of said structure,-one.of said fillers being cored and troughed, a surfacing tread of diamond pattern steel plates secured on the sub-structure with the longitudinal edges flashed into the filler troughing, corresponding tread plates outside of the rails inclined to the highway with a sustaining filler of bituminous material, and relatively short end plates of like character connecting the highway-crossing with contiguous railroad ties, for the purposes specified.

7. A railroad highway-crossing embodying diamond pattern steel plates mounted on a non-conductive sub-structure with interposition of electric insulation preformed fillers between the contiguous plate edges and the rails, said plates having either or both of their longitudinal edges flashed into the aligning filler whereby the rails are insulated against bridge conductivity.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed myname at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 21st da of October 1925.

J ONATHA RAYMOND JONES. 

